Brachioplasty

I have touched on Brachioplasty in the massive weight loss section of this webpage but it is popular enough and sometimes misunderstood enough to warrant its on section on my site.

Liposuction or Brachioplasty?

The paradox of brachioplasty is that many people want the skin tightening it provides, but not the scar. Once again the key is elasticity of the skin. If the arms are full and not droopy liposuction alone of any kind will give a nice result. If the skin is loose liposuction will remove fat, but the loose skin will remain. Brachioplasty removes both the extra skin and fat.

Before

After

The Brachioplasty scar:

Brachioplasty is notorious for making thick or wider scars. It is an operation that, centered under the arm is subject to constant motion as the skin heals. I call this a push me/pull me operation. The scar when closed is subject to these forces and because scar tissue is living and dynamic it responds to these stresses. I have had patients make beautiful scars with brachioplasty and like any surgeon I have seen some widen. The key for the patient is to understand these possibilities and be accepting of them good or bad.

Types of Brachioplasty:

Examples or the types of brachioplasty I perform are shown below. How I guide my patients depends on how loose they are. Brachioplasty can be as short as a scar under the armpit or can extend from the forearm to the chest wall. It depends on the degree of laxity.

Types of brachioplasty

Brachioplasty

A fill brachioplasty tightens the skin along the axis of the arm and pulls it up under the armpit as well the scars stop at the armpit.

Before

After

A fill brachioplasty tightens the skin along the axis of the arm and pulls it up under the armpit as well the scars stop at the armpit.

Extended

An extended Brachioplasty extends under the armpit along the side of the chest. Many patients have extra skin her after significant weight loss.

Short scar Brachioplasty:

Short scar Brachioplasty takes a wedge of skin out under the arms. It gives a limited amount of vertical pull and a subtle result. It is really best for patients with a skin bulge under the armpit.

A Word From The Doctor

Welcome to my new and updated website. I hope you find it not only better than my old one, but different from the many others you may be looking at.

As a Maryland plastic surgeon I worry that there is not only too much plastic surgery information on the internet to sort through, but that much of it is more hype than substance. I hope you will consider this new site a teaching tool. I have put it together in an effort to answer the most common things my patients want to know.

I hope as you read this site, you will have a sense of how I think cosmetically and how I have approached my patients. By no means is my way the only, but the thinking that I have used and honed over the past 18 years has served me well. I hope it will be of benefit to you.

Each patients results will be different depending upon their goals and starting situation, but I try to present here concepts that will be helpful in considering what is right for you.